Featured Cigar Dimensions

Arturo Fuente Privada #1 Double Corona

You’ll have to turn back the clock to the late 1800’s if you want to trace the roots of A. Fuente cigars. Arturo Fuente learned the art cigar making, from growing and processing tobacco to actually making premium, handmade cigars in Cuba at the end of the 19th century, producing his own line in 1912. Today, his son Carlos and grandson, Carlos Jr. oversee the more than 1800 employees who manufacture over 24 million top-notch cigars every year. Only the highest quality vintage tobaccos and workmanship go into A. Fuente cigars, making them a true blend of art and craftsmanship. Each leaf is personally selected from a private family reserve set aside exclusively for the making of their Privada line of cigars. Blended with the finest of Fuente’s Tobaccos, this line is then skillfully rolled with a Connecticut Shade wrapper. Upon visual inspection it is obvious that only the most gifted cigar makers are assigned the task of rolling this line, taking absolutely no short cuts. In fact, every critical step in the manufacturing process is done completely by hand to ensure a finished cigar without parallel. Subsequent to rolling, A. Fuente cigars are aged in Spanish Cedar vaults to the peak of perfection, as time and careful aging permits the marriage of the various tobacco blends, producing an excellent cigar to be counted among the world’s finest. Note the slick, oily sheen coming off this excellently constructed cigar. We found the combination of its heady aroma and wonderful draw made for a superior smoking experience. Expect an earthy flavor with peppery flourishes and a light, yet sustained spiciness. This exceptional mild-to-medium-bodied smoke will go nicely with a well-hopped IPA.

La Estrella Belicoso

La Estrella Cubana is a truly unique cigar. One look and you know you’ve got something very different on your hands. The first thing you are going to notice about this Dominican beauty is the bright red wrapper. This striking color is achieved by a special process whereby all of the chlorophyll is removed by boiling a natural Rosado wrapper. The process also renders the wrapper exceptionally smooth and supple to the touch (go ahead, give it a loving caress—don’t be shy, bond with your cigar). Literally smooth as silk, this medium-bodied belicoso is also a full-flavored blend of only Dominican binder, wrapper, and filler tobaccos. Another distinctive touch to this puro is the manner in which this beautiful wrapper drapes over the foot of the cigar. Some may feel more comfortable trimming both ends of this beauty before smoking, rather than just the head, but if you like, you can just light with shaggy wrapper in place—sort of like lighting a fuse—and wait for the gentle explosion of flavor. Look for a smooth taste all the way through this cigar, with spiciness building as you go. You’ll find that it offers a softly sweet, yet spicy flavor that’s quite enjoyable. Overall, this is a very unique, well constructed cigar that is loaded with flavor, and one that we just love. It’s also a great “gift cigar,” as it carries a certain novelty with its red wrapper, while simultaneously being a solid smoke. Remember, if you ever want to reorder cigars featured in the club, just give us a call at 800.625.8238 and one of our customer service gurus will help get you re-supplied with your favorite featured smokes. If you’re looking for something to drink with your “Star of Cuba” (a.k.a. La Estrella Cubana), try Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey.

Partagas Almirante Double Corona

Before the Castro regime took power in Cuba, Partagas cigars were made in Havana under the direction of Ramon Cifuentes and his father before him. The history of their famous line dates way back to 1845 in Havana, Cuba, and with history like that, you know you’re going to get a great smoke if you choose anything from Partagas. After Castro took over, like so many other great cigar makers whose plantations were appropriated by the government, Cifuentes moved to Santiago, Dominican Republic. There he continued to produce his Partagas line and contributed greatly to this nation’s reputation as a producer of fine cigars. The Dominican versions of his famous Cuban brands feature spicy Cameroon wrappers and a blend of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos as the filler. The binder leaves are grown in the San Andres Valley in Mexico, and as you may know, Mexican tobaccos are known for being bold and spicy. Dominican varieties, on the other hand, tend to be a bit smoother. The brilliant combination of soft and spicy in the Almirante line is what gives this cigar its unique split personality. It begins quite mild, but you’ll notice that the flavor suddenly picks up and finishes like a different cigar entirely. We gave it a strength rating of 7.5, which is an average of sorts, taking in to account the mild beginnings (what we’d normally consider about a 5.0) as well as its robust spicy nature which comes alive about 2 inches through the smoke (what we’d consider about an 8.5 or so). Look for more spiciness and a trace of burnt cedar in the aftertaste. Precisely rolled with a full load of tobacco, this well-aged cigar is a real pleasure to smoke. Overall, we were impressed with its strength and complex flavor. Try pairing it with an Oban Scotch or your favorite Czech Pilsner.

Tierra Del Sol Maduro Torpedo

Nick Perdomo produces a variety of blends in his Esteli, Nicaragua-based factory. One of the latest to come out is Tierra Del Sol, just released in December 2004. The entire line is quite attractive, but the maduros, in our humble opinion, are stunning. We just had to try them out, and upon pleasing our panel, they earned the right to be featured in our club. The torpedo maduros were especially well-received; the heads are perfectly formed, tightly wound and shaped like a bullet, as torpedos ought to be. It may not fit in the “classically beautiful” category, but no matter, we dig its rustic look. Note the dark, thick and somewhat bumpy wrapper which ensconces a well-packed blend of flavorsome tobacco. These cigars start off with a very toasty opening, with notes of chocolate that falls somewhere between bitter dark cocoa and sweeter milk chocolate. You’ll notice that the tobacco blend has a natural subtle sweetness, something we found very appealing. The finish is nothing but gentle, with absolutely no bite to speak of. What makes this cigar great is the superbly smooth, pleasant flavor that is as consistent as can be—between panel members, we’ve smoked over two dozen of these over the past couple of weeks, and they’re all solid. Extremely mild in body, it might not be what you expect upon visual inspection, but rest assured, this stogie is nothing but pleasant. The draw is great, the billows rotund, the aroma delightful and the balance wonderful. As an added bonus, this cigar feels great in the hand and is easy to handle while doing other things, so if you’re one to light up a smoke while paying bills or doing your taxes (it’s getting to be about that time). Try it out with a dark Munich lager. Enjoy!

Vegas de Fonseca Sobrinos Robusto

Enjoy this fine Cuban brand, legally! OK, OK, so calling this a “Cuban brand” may be a tad misleading, but technically, it’s the truth—and our lawyers will support us on this—we checked it out. Here’s the skinny… Fonseca was originally made in Cuba, and still is (making it a Cuban brand, no?) but for years it has also been hand-rolled by Manolo Quesada in the Dominican Republic. Quesada's great-great grandfather started brokering tobacco leaf in Cuba in the 1880s and, four generations later, Manufactures de Tobacos S. A. (MATASA) produces some of the finest cigars in the world: Fonseca, Romeo and Julieta, Licenciados, Sosa, Casa Blanca, and Jose Benito, just to name a few. From the mid-1880s until 1960, Quesada's great-grandfather, grandfather, father and several generations of uncles brokered tobacco out of Havana and sold it around the world. In the 1930s, one uncle started to buy and resell Dominican tobacco, creating a permanent family foothold on the island of Hispaniola. By the time Castro came to power, Sobrinos de A. Gonzales (the company founded by Quesada's great-great-grandfather) and Constantino Gonzales (founded by a great-uncle) were the largest tobacco brokers in the world. But in April 1960, Quesada's family was forced out of business by the Castro government. So while these cigars are still being made in Cuba, the family that created them has been making them in the Dominican Republic for nearly 50 years now. The Fonseca Sobrinos robusto we’ve sent you is a distinctive looking cigar made from Dominican long-filler, a binder with Dominican and Mexican origins, all covered in a beautiful, rustic Cameroon wrapper. This is a very well-balanced mild-to-medium-flavored cigar that earned an ’88’ rating from Cigar Aficionado and ‘Superior’ by Rudman’s Guide. We enjoyed the full-bodied, Cuban-esque tobacco flavor and the deeply woody cedary finish. Grab yourself a good port. May we suggest the Portuguese port of choice, coincidentally carrying the same name as our cigar here, Fonseca Port.

ASK MURL

Dear Murl,

Man do I have a sob story for ya. About 8 months back I moved in a hurry and in the shuffle I threw a box of my favorite cigars (the Partagas Sabrosos you featured some time ago) in a big box of last minute packed items and sealed it up. Well, in my haste, I forgot that I had my favorite smokes in that box and it sat in my closet until I just chanced upon them and discovered that they are completely dried out! Can you help me to resurrect my dried out cigars Murlin, oh wise wizard of the stogie?

Charlie Tedesco
Oakland, NJ

Yo Charlie-Horse!

First off Mr. Haphazard, don’t call me Murlin or anything other than Murl, unless it complements my utterly masculine canine physique—personally, I don’t feel that a reference to a guy with a magic wand who perpetually walks around in a robe and a pointy dunce cap meets that criterion, got it pal? Now that we’re straight on that I will use my vast knowledge (which I’ll admit can seem supernatural at times) to help you raise the dead, as it were. First buddy, you gotta have patience on this one. I assume you have a humidor somewhere bro—or did you pack that up too? The key here is that you have to slowly “dose up” the amount of moisture you expose your dried cigars to. Put the cigars in a humidor that hasn't been charged in the previous week and let them rest for a few days so the cigars absorb just the slightest bit of humidity. Then, partially fill the humidification system, letting the cigars rest for another week or two before fully charging the humidity regulator. Then, give ‘em yet another 1-3 weeks at full humidity. This process will ensure a slow absorption of moisture, preventing the cigars from getting too much humidity too soon. If you shock the cigars with too much moisture, they may burst, and an exploded stogie, especially if it’s a favorite, can be a sad and potentially life-altering experience my friend. In any case, do not, I repeat, do not light up until the cigars are supple to the touch! A dry cigar will burn too hotly, and the flavor will seem burned or unpalatably charbroiled, and that just ain’t right my man.

It’s gonna take a while, but apply this technique and your stogies will spring back to life—just give it time and don’t be as hasty with those smokes this time around!

Woof!
Murl

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Original & Super Grab Bags!

That's right babies, help us put a little bit of our humidor into your humidor at insanely cheap prices! We've got some extra smokes that need a caring home to take them in so check it out! Choose between:

Discounted Box Re-Orders!

Members can take advantage of our volume purchasing and re-order their favorite cigars in box quantities at just over our wholesale costs. Re-order any selection featured in the box quantities listed below or order them in convenient 5 paks! Other cigar shapes and sizes not actually featured, but from a featured brand line may also be re-ordered. Call for pricing.

Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery and add $7.95 for S&H for your first box and $3.00 for each additional box or grab bag. S&H for 5-packs is $4.95 and $1.50 for each additional 5-pak. All reorders are sent Priority mail unless otherwise requested. CA residents please add 7.75 % Sales Tax. S&H for International re-orders must be calculated on an individual basis. Prices are subject to change.